Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

NAJ: Yiddish pronunciation of the German adjective neu (new; in German pronounced noy); Polish prefix naj- is used to indicate the superlative of adjectives the way the suffix- est is in English; e.g. najmądrzejszy = wisest.

CZYŻ: siskin (bird species).

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Kunkel is either a misspelt or Germanised form of the Polish surname Kąkol (meaning corncockle). The name is especially widespread in the Baltic region's Kashuby area. This only has to do with the origin of the name, not those using it. As a result of centuries of migration, intermarriage, invasions, partitions, border shifts and population transfers there are many Germans called Nowak as well as Poles who sign themselves Szulc and even Schulz.

Genealogy / Want to find a person [770]

NUREK: diver or grebe (bird speiceis); possible topo nick for an inhabitant of Nur or Nurczyn.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Several dozen people in Poland spell their name the original German way -- Schenk -- which incidentally means publican or innkeeper. Their largest concentrations are in the Gdańsk and Opole areas. Six times as many use the Polonised Szenk spelling and their single biggest bastion is in and around Katowice. Significant clusters are also found in Greater Warsaw as well as in the Gdańsk and Opole areas.

Genealogy / How Daniel surname is common in Poland? Could it have had its origins in the 17/18th c. Scottish immigration? [9]

It would have to be Danielewicz.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

That is basically correct although incomplete. but the name is Żak. not Zak!

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

BUCZYNA: root-word buk (beech tree); buczyna is a beech grove, a little wood comprising mainly beech trees.
English surname equivalent: Beechwood. Some Buczyna descendants appear to have made it into the gentry with coats of arms to prove it.

PĄCH has been recorded as a surname but no-one uses it at present. It's root would be the archaic verb pąchać (to smell, sniff, catch the scent).

BRUDZIEŃSKI: alternate spelling of Brudziński; traceable to the root brud (dirt, grime) or the verb brudzić (to soil, sully, dirty); or a topo tag from places like Brudzice, Brudzew, etc.

The Brudzińskis held membership in three different szlachta (gentry) clans.
For more info please contact me.

Genealogy / Manko, Federowicz, Baszczek, Zatwarnicka. Family history mystery. [36]

FEDEROWICZ: This name originated as a patronymic nickname meaning "son of Theodore". The "Feder-" root represents the Ruthenian (Ukrainian, Belarusian) pronunciation of the name Teodor (Polish) or Theodore in English. Two separate coats of arms accompany the Federowicz surname.

For more info please contact me

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

It makes a great difference. The root of Bukowski is buk (beech tree) and of Butowski -- but (boot, shoe). But in both cases the toponymic origin is the most likely. Butowski was used to indicate an inhabitant of the North Polish village of Butowo. In a minority of cases it might have been traced to the word buta (arrogance, haughtiness).

Southern Poland's single biggest Krajewski concentration is found in the Katowice area. Smaller but not insignificant clusters may also be encountered in SE Poland in and around Kraków, Kielce, Tarnów, Krosno, Rzeszów, Tarnobrzeg, Zamość and Lublin.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Krajewski is a very popular surname in Poland. It originated as a topo nick from some one dozen localities in Poland called Krajewo.The major concentrations are found in the northern half of the county -- chiefly in Wielkopolska,Kujawy, Mazowsze, Mazury and Podlasie. But others make their homes across the country's southland.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

LITWIN: could have originated to identify: 1) an ethnic Lithuanian; 2) anyone from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania regardless of ethnicity; 3) a Litvak -- Jew from the Pale; 4) a native of such villages as Litwa Stara, Litewka, Litwinki or Litwinowicze (all in Podlasie bordering Lithuania).

Vienna was the capital of the sprawling multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire which included many Poles and Jews but not too many ethnic Lithuanians.

No such name in Poland, in fact that isn't even a Polish spelling. There is a surname KREWSKI which is quite rare. The most live up on the Baltic coast in and around the town of Koszalin (one of the reclaimed territories) and in and eastern Poland's Lublin area. The root so the name is the word "krew" (blood).

BUMBER? Maybe it had originally been BAMBER, a nick for a German colonist who settled Wielkopolska (from the German city of Bamberg). In the days of widespread illiteracy it is not inconceivable that someone's shaky hand failed to bring the two prongs of the letter "a" together, leaving a gap which the next copyist down the line took to be a "u" and we get: instant Bumber!

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

KOCIO£EK: cookpot; hence possibly an occupational nick for a pot & pan maker (copper smith) or cook.

PACH: pet form of such first names as Pakosław or Paweł.

Genealogy / Meaning of surname Wlodarski [26]

W£ODARSKI: probably originated as a patronymic nck whose root-word was włodarz (an old term for a chief, headman or leader); Włodarski would therefore be the leader's son.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

BRZOZOWSKI: originated as a toponmyic tag to identify a native of Brzozowo, Brzozów, Brzozowa, Brzozówka and similar. Such villages are found all over Poland.

I forgot to mention there were 10 separate szlachta (gentry) lines amongst the bearers of the Brzozowski surname including an own-name clan called -- you guessed it! -- Brzozowski.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

From Pomagier (helper); Pomagierski would be a partonymic nick for "the helper's son".

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

The wybor past of it suggests selection, election or choice just like Wybierski and Wybierek do. But Wyborcjusz is not currently used in Poland.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

WYBIERCZY: No-one in Poland uses this surname at present; if it existed, it would trace back to the verb wybierać (pick, choose, select).

WYBIEREK: This name exists; its etymology is the same; its stronghold is the Katowice area.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

WYBIERSKI: Wyberski does not exist. It could have come about as a mistranslation from Russian or a simple mistake of dropping out the letter"i". It comes from the verb wybierać (to choose, select, pick and choose) and could have conceivably been coinbed to describe a picky and choosy person. It is very rare used only by a dozen or so people in Poland today, all of them living in the Katowice area in the south of the country.

Ladysław is a less common version of the first name Władysław (Ladislaus in English via Latin). If it came from Ladysław, possibly nicknamed Ladzio, it would have been spelt Ladzki. However since Ladzki and Lacki are pronounced identically, it is not inconceivable that someone said Ladzki and the copyist wrote it down as Lacki. With surnames most anything is possible!

There are actually 3 people in Poland who spell their surname Ladzki. But there are some 120 Lackis.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

KASPERZAK: patronymic nick for the "son of Kasper"; Eng. equivalent: Casperson.

ŚMIESZNY: adj. meaning funny, comical, laughable.

Genealogy / Polish surname Gil. My ancestors were from the town of Widelka. [74]

GIL: This is the Polish word for bullfinch, a brightly coloured songbird (in Spanish camachuelo) and it is laso a common surname. Gil is also a common surname in Spanish-speaking countries but it is unconnected to the Polish name. Since your ancestors came from Poland, the former would hold true in your case.

Does anyone in the Hispanic world have a surname like Camachuelo?
Juan, where in the States do you live?

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

STEFAŃSKI: This could have originated as a toponymic tag to indicate an inhabitant of such places as Stefanów, Stefamowo, Stefanówek, Strefania, etc. or as a patronymic nick describing Stefan's son (English equivalent Stevenson).

Unfortunately, this is a fairly popular surname shared by over 18,000 Poles, so it would be next to impossible to track down one's family if the name was all one has to go on. Have you any idea of what part of Poland your ancestors were from?

The largest concentrations are found in Mazowsze, the Świętorkrzyskie region, Upper Silesia and the £ódź region.

Genealogy / Last Name: DOWGIALLO from Poland [44]

Zadora was one of five clans to which the well-born Dowgiałłos belonged. The others were Abdank, Dzialosza, Leliwa and an own-name clan whose c.o.a was a take-off on the Działosza heraldic device.

Dowgiałło is the polonised form of the Lithuanian name Daugela.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Latski or Latsky is a good practical way of phonetically respelling Lacki for the benefit of English and Afrikaner speakers. Spelt the original way, it would end up being pronounced like lackey meaning hired servant.

As for £ącki -- the phonetic version could be Lontski (if the hard "L" is used) of Wontski (for today's widespread £=W pronunciatio).

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

No, the noble Lackis belonged to two gentry clans: Korab and an own-name clan named Lacki. It was amongst the bearers of the the £ącki family that there were 17 different noble lines including Brodzic, Brochwicz II, Jelita, Jastzrębiec, Prus and an own-name one as well. LACKI and £ĄCKI are two completely different surnames. Lacki is an adjectival form of Lach (Ukrainian for Pole) can mean "Polish" or "son of the Pole". £ącki refers to łąka (meadow) or a town called £ącko

If by family you mean people sharing the same surname then the answer is yes and the £ącki namesakes are the best example thereof. But a single line of a given family belonged to only one clan. However, at times a group of nobles broke off from thiei clan and set up an own-name one of their own.

I realise all this sounds fairly complicated. For more info please contact me.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

You mustt mean MAKSYMCZUK: patronymic nick for the son of Maksym(ilian); the -czuk is a typical eastern (Ruthenian) ending; indigenous Polish would be -czak or -czyk.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

It depends if the original had diacritical markings or not,

LACKI: probably adjectival form of Lach, the name Ruthenians called Poles.

£ĄCKI: would be a toponymic nick for someone from the village of £ącko.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

WYBIERSKI: from verb wybierać (to choose, select), maybe originally applied to a picky and choosey person; or topoymic tag from places like Wyborów or Wybrany; extremely rare. All its users live in the Katowice area. No coat of arms.

Genealogy / DOBZYN, PLOCK ? Need more information [15]

JAGIELSKI: root-word jagły (millet cereal); most likely this originated as a toponymic nckc to identify an inhabitant of such villages as Jagiele, Jagielno, Jagiełła or similar (Milletville, Milletburg) - 1 noble line

JANKIEWICZ: patronymic meaning "son of Janek" - 1 noble line.

For more info please contact me.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

TARASZEWSKI: root-word here is Taras, a popular Ukrainian first name. This could have originated either as a patronymic nick or a toponymic one.
For more info please contact me.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

PRZEPIÓRA: quail, a smallish game bird that is excellent eating; nickname-turned-surname could have originated as a toponymic tag from Przepiórów (Quailton, Quailville); a coat of arms went with a Przepiórkowski who could have been a Przepióra descendant.